Micrometer indicator for measuring machines



Feb. 24, 1942. .v T W, HALL 2,273,956

MICROMETER INDICATOR FOR MEASURING MACHINES 'Filed Feb. '7, 1940 W//Mw v mama ret. l24, 1942.

UNITED,v ISTATE s PATEN r AOFFICE f MICBOMETER -INDICITB. FOR MEASURING MACHINES y".lh'omas W. Hall, Torrington, Conn., assgnor'to 4 Niles-Bement-Pond Company, Welt Hartford,

` Conn., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 7, 1940, semi No. 317,71

8Claims.

l This invention relatesto linear measuring machines and particularly to a headstock and meas- I uring indicator therefor having improved graduated dials to indicate the position to which the. headstock spindle is adjusted.

An object of the invention is to provide a new system oi' graduations on the headstock spindle of a measuring machine so that they will facilitate reading the setting of the dials for any given position of the headstock spindle.

' A feature that enables me to'` accomplish the above-named object is that there are provided a plurality of successive scales on the dial rotatable with the headstock spindle, each scale occupying an equal arc of the periphery of the dial and being graduated into a large number of equal Another object of the invention is to provide a supplemental rotatable dial adjacent the dial directly attached to the headstock spindle but at a reduced speed relative thereto, this supplemental or secondary dial being graduated preferably into a large number of graduations extending uniformly around the entire periphery of the.

disc and drivingly connectedfto the first dial to be rotated in timed relation but at a reduced speed' relative thereto. v

With the above and other objects in view the invention includes the features of constructionV and operation set forth in the following specication4 and illustrated in the accompanying drawlng In the accompanying/drawing annexed hereto and forming a part of this specification, I have shown thev invention embodied in a precision linear measuring machine headstock but it will be understood that the invention can be otherwise embodied and that the drawing is not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims appended to this specification being relied upon `for that purpose.

In the drawing:

- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view in ele-- been shown but one embodiment of the invention which is now deemed preferable, but it is to be understood that changes and modifications may be made within the sco'pe of the appended ,y claims without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

Briefly and in its preferred aspect, the inven-` tion may include the following principal parts: First, a headstock or other principal body member' having a spindle movable axially therein, there being provided means to prevent the spindle from rotating during its axial' movement; second, a threaded member rotatably mounted within the headstock and engaging a correspondingly threaded nut provided within the rear end of the spindle; third, a graduated dial mounted on and rotatable with the threaded member; fourth, a supplemental graduated dial rotatably mounted adjacent and concentrically with the first ,dial

and adapted to be driven therefrom at a different predetermined speed; fifth, a vernier dial also mounted coaxially with the 4first dial and having 'means to manually adjust its angular position relative to the first dial; and sixth, scales on said dials each graduated into a large number of divisions.

Referring more in detail to the figures ofthe drawing, I provide a headstock Il with a spindle li mounted for axial movement therein. Preferably and as shown, the body member or headstock Il has bearing sleeves l2 provided within a suitable bore withinwhich the spindle can slide. At one end of the spindle il is mounted a measuring anvil I3 and' at the oppositel end is a f nut il preferably adjustable within the spindlef'li in any well-known manner.

an arm I5, the outer end` of which may be bifurcated to engage a bar or other member II mounted within the headstock. By means of this bar I8 rotation of the spindle il is prevented during its axial movement or, by laterally tilting the bar, a slight angular movement can be given In the above-mentioned drawing there has 55 the spindle 'il to correct the lead oi the screw I1 engaging nut I4 and by means of which the spindle il is advanced.

Mounted coaxially with the slidable spindle v il l.

and held against axial movement. within the headstock is a member Il of which thescrew i1 extending from one end thereof forms `a. part. Rotation of the member Il and screw i1 engaging the nut i4 advances the spindle Il with-- in the headstock, 'I'his member I8 is rotatably mounted within a bearing member I9 secured in position against an end face of the headstock Clamped to thespindle il and extendinglaterally therefrom isy the hand wheel larger gear with an idler 28 shown in dotted position in ated dial 22, in

Il. By means of a hand wheel 2li keyed or otherwise secured to the outer end of the threaded member I8 the member I8 and its screw I1 may be rotated to vary the axial position of the spindle II. Y

l To determine the position to which the spindle II has been adjusted specially graduated dials 2I and 22 are provided. The first dial 2I may preferably be mounted directly upon the hub of 20 so that it will rotate therewith and with the screw I1 to advance the spindle Il by engagement of the screw I1 with the threaded nut I4. This dial at its periphery is graduated, in the embodiment selected for illusy tration, into equal divisions extending completely about the periphery to form four scales each immediately succeeding another. Each of these ,y

scales may, as indicated, be graduated into one hundred equally -spaced graduations so that there will be a total of four hundred graduations upon this dial. The zero of each scale corresponds with the maximum graduation of its adjacent scale. In Fig. 3 the beginning of one scale and the end of an adjacent scale are shown. As the pitch or lead of the screw I1 and the nut I4 in the spindle II is lf, of an inch in the of the scales on this Y moved by the spindle II of one ten-thousandth of an inch. A movement from the 0 to 100, that is, rotation of the dial 2l one-quarter of a revolution, will representan axial movement of the spindle amounting to one one-hundredth of an inch. The graduations upon this dial 2I which is directly movable with the spindle I I will therefore give the third and fourth digits indicating the setting of the spindle. To supply the rst and second digits for any reading the supplemental dial 22 is made use of. This dial 22 is mounted concentrically with the rst dial 2l upon a hub member headstock. The dial member 22 carries an intenal`gear 24 set into one face and secured in position on the vdial member 22 as by screws 26.

Meshing with this internal gear 24 is the smaller gear 26 of a compound gear unit, the hub of which is supported for rotation within the xed member 23 supporting. the second dial 22. The 21 of this compound gear unit meshes 2 and this idler gear in turn meshes with a pinion 28 keyed to the member I8 carrying the screw I1. The total gear ratio between the pinion 29 and the'internal gear 24 is twenty-ve toone .soA that the second dial 22 rotates once with its internal gear for each twenty-five rotations ofthe dia12I and the screw I'I. One complete rotation, therefore, of this secondary graduthe preferred embodiment. of the invention in which the lead of the screw I1 equals one twenty-fifth of van inch, will represent axial movement of the spindle II of a full inch.

To facilitate reading the positions or indications of the two dials 2| and 22 a lens 30 is mounted adjacent an opening in the members supporting and enclosing the dials 2| and 22 adjacent a fixed zero line 3l. Also a vernier scale 32 may be provided, this preferably being 23 secured in position to the for which the spindle II is adjusted. The third digit, or thousandths of an inch, is given by the bination, a threaded spindle rotatably mounted in said micrometer and having a graduated dial rotatable therewith, said diall having a plurality of series of uniformly spaced graduations extending sequentially about its periphery, a second dial adjacent said first dial having a continuous series of graduations thereon, and means to rotate said second dial from a member rotatable with said spindle and first dial at a reduced speed Y relative thereto, said speed ratio being such that embodiment illustrated, each graduation disc will represent a distancemounted upon an angularly adjustable member l.

33 so that its zero may be properly positioned for an initial setting of the spindle II.

To read the indications of the dials ZI and 22 the lower graduation or adjacent the zero line 3l gives the first and second digits of the decimal part of an inch numeral of the dial 22 said first dial rotates as many times as there arel threads per inch on said spindle during one rotation of said second dial.

2. A micrometer indicator comprising in combination, a threaded spindle rotatably mounted in said micrometer and having a graduated dial rotatable therewith, said dial having a plurality of series of uniformly spaced'graduations extending sequentially about its periphery, a second dial coaxial with said rst dial and having the same diameter, a continuous series of graduations on said second dial, and meaus to rotate said second vdi-al from a member rotatable with said spindle and first dial at a reduced speed relative thereto, said speed ratio being such that said nrst dial rotates as many times as there are threads per inch on said spindle during one rotation of said second dial.-

3. A micrometer indicator comprising in combination, a threaded spindle rotatably mounted in said micrometer and having a graduated dial rotatable therewith, said dial having a plurality of series of uniformly spaced graduations extending sequentially about its periphery, each of said series being equally spaced about its periphery and the beginning of one s'eries following the end of another series, wherebyrthe graduations thereof are uniformly spaced, a second dial adjacent said :flrst dial having a continuous series of graduations thereon; and means to rotate said second dial from a member rotatable with said spindle and first dial at a reduced speed relative thereto, said speed ratiol being such that said ilrst dial rotates as many times as there are threads per inch on said spindle during one rotation of said second dial.

4. A micrometer indicator comprising in combination, a threaded spindle rotatably mounted in said micrometer and having a graduated dial rotate said second dial from a member rotatable with said spindle and first dial at a reduced speed relative thereto, said speed ratio being such that said rst dial rotates as many times as there are threads per inch on said spindle during one rotation of said second dial.

5. A micrometer indicator comprising in combination, a threaded spindle rotatably mounted in said micrometer and having a graduated dial dial adjacent said iirst llv--in said micrometer and having a graduated ot' series of uniformly spaced graduations. ex-

tending sequentially about vits periphery. each series fhaving a zero' indicia coinciding withl the lmaximum indicia. oi' an adjacentseries second dial adjacent said rst dial having a continuous series of graduations thereon', and gear means i ,to rotatefsaid second diaiirom a member-rotate able with said spindle and ilrst dial at a reduced speed relative thereto, saidgear ratio being auch that said spindle and ilrst dial rotate'as vmany spindleduringvone retenedor niemand dial rotatable therewith. said dial havinga plurality 4 of'series ot uniformly spaced graduations extending sequentially about its periphery, eachl I' series'having a zero indicia and all series forniing collectively a uniformly graduated periphery.

a second dial adjacent said iirst dial having a single continuous series oi graduations thereon.

l speed vrelative thereto, said speed ratio being `such .that said iirst dial rotates as many times as times as .thereare per,inch onsaicl. e l y there are threads per inch on said spindle during 46. A micrometer indicator comprisingm combination, a threaded spindle rotatably mountedin sind micrometer and vhaving a graduates disiy v rotatabletherewith. said ,dialy having a plurality; 'spaced graduations ex-4 i of .series of uniformly tending sequentially about its periphery, a second i dial having a continuous. series of sraduations thereomand-g'ear mea-ns to' rotate `said second dial from a member rotatable with said spindle and first dial at a reduced speed and means toj positively rotate said second dial `from said spindle and flr'st diall at a reduced one rotation of said second dial. l

8 A micrometer indicator comprising in combination, a= threaded spindle rotatably mounted insaid micrometer and `having a graduated' dial rotatable therewith, said dial having four series ofv uniformly spaced graduations extending sequentially'about its periphery, a second dial adjacent said first dial having a single continuous f' .seriesoi' uniformly spaced graduations thereon,

relative thereto, said gear 'ratio being suchV that said first vdial rotates as many times as there are threads per inch on said spindle vduring one rota- -tionoisaidseoonddial. 4 7. A micrometer indicator comprising in com-V bination, a threaded spindle rotatably mounted -.second dial.

and gear means to rotate said second dial from said spindle at a reduced speed relative thereto,

4said speed ratio being suchfthat said ilrst`dial 'rotates as many times as there are threads per inch on saidspindle during one rotation of THOMAS We 

